Explosive and process of manufacture



Patented Mar. 18, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oF icE CHARLES CHESTERAHLUM, OF CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO E. I. DU PON T DE NEMOURS &COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE EXPLOSIVEAND PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE No Drawing.

This invention relates to a process of nitrating polyhydroxy alcoholshaving from four to six carbon atoms by mixing them with liquidpolyhydroxy alcohols and subjecting to the action of a nitrating acid,and

to the explosive produced thereby.

Polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atoms such aserythritol, arabitol, sorbitol, and their various isomers when nitratedalone with mixed acid give pasty products or syrups of high viscositywhich are diificult to purify. I have found that by mixing polyhydroxyalcohols having from four to six carbon atoms, such as mentioned above,with liquid polyhydroxy alcohols, such as glycerine and glycol, Iobtaina product which when nitrated is a fluid oil of sufliciently lowviscosity to be readily purified and stabilized by the usualmethods ofnitroglycerin practice. In general the yields and nitrogen content ofthe nitrated polyhydroxy alcohol having from four to six carbon atomsare greater when nitrated in solution as described above, than whennitrated alone.

A particular object of this invention is the development of an economicprocess for the nitration of polyhydroxy alcohols having from four tosix carbon atoms and one that is practical from the viewpoint ofhandling. Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

The explosive products obtained as described above are valuable insupplanting nitroglycerine. I am aware that cane sugar has been nitratedin combination with glycerine. By using sorbitol in place of cane sugarI have found that I gain several distinct advantages over the latter.For ex- 0 ample, using a solution. of 80 parts glycerine and 20 parts ofsorbitol, I obtain an oil of higher nitrogen content and greaterstrength than when I use a similar solution of 80 parts glycerine and 20parts of cane sugar. The

explosive thus obtained from sorbitol also has a lower viscosity, whichis of considerable advantage in washing, handling, and incorporating.into dynamite. Instead of 20 parts sorbitol I may use from 10 to 90parts sorbitol, the remainder of the mixture being liquid Applicationfiled April 20,

1923. Serial No. 271,657.

polyhydroxy alcohols. Instead of sorbitol I may use such polyhydroxyalcohols having" from four to six carbon atoms as man'nitol, arabitol orerythritol, though for some purposes these are notv quite assatisfactory as sorbitol due to the fact that when nitrated they giveproducts which are not as soluble as nitrosorbitol in nitroglycerine.

A'preferred example'of my process and resultant explosive is thefollowing. I may, for example, dissolve 50 parts of sorbitol in 50 partsof glycerine. This solution when added to the usual nitroglycerine mixedacid gives a fluid oil which separates on the surface of the waste acid.This oil can be readily washed to neutrality using a dilute sodiumcarbonate solution such as is customary in nitroglycerine practice. Theneutral oil thus produced has a high nitrogen content and excellentstability. It is a valuable oxplosive oil for use in dynamites, where itmay displace in part or in whole the usual liquid explosive ingredients.In carrying out my process, the proportions of polyhydroxy alcoholshaving from four to six carbon atoms and liquid polyhydroxy alcoholsmay, if desired, be as follows':-

10% to 90% sorbitol to 10% glycerine 10% to 90% sorbitol 90% to10%ethylene glycol 10%to 90% sorbitol s5 45% to 5% glycerine 45% to 5%glycol In place of using a solution of polyhydroxy alcohols having fromfour to six carbon atoms in liquid polyhydroxy alcohol, I may use theminadmixture or add them separately to the nitrator. In place of sorbitol Imay use erythritol,-mannitol, arabitol or any other polyhydroxy alcoholhaving from four to six'carbon atoms or mixture of polyhydroxy alcoholshaving from four to six carbon atoms. In place of glycerine I may useethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, 'chlorohydrin,diglycerine or any other liquid polyhydroxy alcohol or mixture of liquidpolyhydroxy alcohols) dition so that they can be handled practically onalarge scale. I also obtain an explosive oil which is an excellentpractical explosive.

By the term polyhydroxy alcohols having from 4 to 6 carbon atoms I meanto exclude the sugars and also the polyglycerines and polyglycols.

As many apparently widely difierent embodiments of this invention may bemade without departing from the spirit thereof, it is to be understoodthat I do not intend to limit myself to the specific embodiments thereofexcept as indicated in the appended claims.

' I claim 1. The process of producing explosives which comprisesnitrating mixtures of polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to sixcarbon atoms and liquid polyhydroxy alcohols.

2. The process of producing explosives which comprises nitratingmixtures of polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atomswith liquid polyhydroxy alcohols in which th content of the mixture ofpolyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atoms varies from 10to 90 parts by Weight. f l

3. Theprocess of producing explosives which comprises nitrating mixturesof polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atomsandglycerine and glycol.

4. The process of producing explosives which comprises nitratingmixtures of polyhyd'roxyalcohols having from four to six carbon atomsand glycerine.

5. The process of producing explosives which comprises nitratingmixtures of glycerine and glycol and a polyhydroxy alcohol taken from agroup consisting of erythritol, sorbitol, mannitol, and arabitol.-

6. The process of producing explosives which comprisesnitrating mixturesof sorbitol and glycerine.

7. An explosive which comprises nitrated polyhydroxy alcohols havingfrom four to six carbon atoms and nitrated liquid poly- .hydroxyalcohols.

8. An explosive which comprises nitrated mixtures of lycerine and glycoland a polyhydroxy alcslol taken from a group consisting of erythritol,sorbitol, mannitol and arabitol.

12. An explosive which comprises nitrated mixtures of glycerine and asolid, polyhydroxy alcohol taken from a group consisting of erythritol,sorbitol, mannitol, and arabitol. v

13. As new articles of manufacture, explosives coniprising nitrates of apolyhydroxy alcohol having from four to six carbon'atoms and of ethyleneglycol.

1 1. As new articles. of manufacture, explosives comprising nitrates ofsorbitol and of ethylene glycol.

15. The process of producing explosives which consists in nitrating amixture comprising a polyhydroxy alcohol having from four to sixcarbon'atom's and a liquid polyhydroxy alcohol.

. 16. The process of producing explosives which consists in nitrating amixture comprising a polyhydroxy alcohol having from four to six carbonatoms and ethylene glycol. 17. The process of producing explosives whichconsists in nitrating a mixture comprising sorbitol and ethylene glycol.

18. The process ofv producing explosives which consists in nitrating amixture com- .prising a polyhydroxy alcohol, having from four to sixcarbon atoms, ethyleneglycol and I glycerol.

19. The process of producing explosives which consists in nitrating amixture comprising sorbitol, ethylene lycol and glycerol. 20. As newarticles of manufacture, explosives comprising nitrates of ethyleneglycol and nitrates of a compound taken from a group consisting oferythritol, sorbitol, mannitol, and arabitol.

21. The process of producing explosives;

which consist in nitrating a mixture comprisingethylene glycol and asolid polyhydroxy I alcohol taken from a group consisting of erythritol,sorbitol, mannitol, and arabitol. In testimony whereof, I alfix mysignature.

CHARLES CHESTER AHLUM.

mixtures of polyhydroxy alcohols having from four to six carbon atomsand liquid polyhydroxy alcohols.

9. An explosive which comprises nitrated mixtures of polyhydroxyalcohols having from four to six carbon atoms and glycerine and glycol.

10. An explosive whichcomprises nitrated mixtures of polyhydroxyalcohols having from four to six carbon atoms and glycerine.

11. An explosive which comprises nit-rated

